Wine Scholar Guild Study Tours for Sommeliers

The Wine Scholar Guild study tours provide unique educational experiences for sommeliers.

Without a doubt, there’s no better way to get your head around a wine than to go to the region where it is produced. By witnessing the chalk soils of Champagne or the fragmented vineyard plots of Burgundy, for example, the elusive yet fundamental concept of terroir is revealed, achieving a more precise understanding of the wines produced there.  

Enjoy the opportunity to taste unique wines that are only poured locally at the wineries. Let’s face it, only a fraction of the wines produced are exported, so if you’d like to learn about the entire range of wines that a region has to offer, and how you can integrate them into your wine list, our wine tours are a great way to do this.

Perfect your skills during the extensive and guided tastings that feature specific learning objectives.

Here are some examples from previous Wine Scholar Guild tours:

• A Champagne producer in the Aube organized a tasting of the same base champagne with different dosages to demonstrate its effect on the flavor profile of champagne.
• A winemaker in the Beaujolais poured wines from each of the ten crus, alongside rock samples of the subsoil the grapes were grown on, helping the group pick out the subtle differences between them, whether it be a Morgon or a Fleurie. 

Visit both iconic and below the radar estates

Meeting the winemakers is also a real highlight for our wine study tours participants. On previous trips, groups have met the winemakers at renowned estates such as Champagne Louis Roederer, Chateau Cheval Blanc in Bordeaux or Clos de Tart in Burgundy, just to name a few. These are unique and highly rewarding opportunities. In a professional context, meeting the winemakers also allows you to establish first-hand relationships with existing or potential suppliers.

Producers visited during past study trips include:

Visiting iconic wine regions gives a face to the wines on your wine list and provide anecdotes and vivid memories that you can share with your customers. This helps bring legitimacy and confidence when selling your wines.  A key aspect of the trip is eating at fabulous local restaurants and pairing the meal with fine wines of the region. These pairings can also prove to be a real inspiration for you when you are back home.

World-renowned wine instructors:

Our top-notch instructors, all experts in their fields, include award-winning Sommeliers, Masters of Wines, and a famous wine writer. They provide professional-level instruction and help you stay abreast of what is happening in the different wine regions by covering current trends and changes that are occurring there.  

• Masters of Wine including: Elizabeth Gabay MW, Steve Charters MW, Matthew Stubbs MW, Essi Avellan MW, Stephen Charters MW, Sarah Jane Evans MW
• Master Sommeliers including:Pascaline Lepeltier MS, Gerard Basset MW, MS
• Highly regarded industry professionals and journalists including: Thierry Meyer, Andrew Jefford, Wink Lorch

Pascaline Lepeltier MS Beverage Director of Rouge Tomate restaurant in NYC	Andrew Jefford Award-winning wine journalist for Decanter	Kerin O'Keefe Italian editor at Wine Enthusiast Magazine	Wink Lorch Award-winning author
Sarah Jane Evans MW Award-winning wine writer	Essi Avellan MW Editor of FINE Champagne magazine	Gerard Basset MW, MS Best Sommelier in the world, 2010	Elizabeth Gabay MW Provence Resident since 2002